DOJ announces New Jersey Medicare and Virginia Medicaid fraud schemes

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that (1) a New Jersey woman has pled guilty in a $1 million Medicare fraud scheme that deceived seniors into unnecessary DNA tests, and (2) three Bristol, Virginia individuals have been indicted for fraudulently billing over $350,000 to Virginia Medicaid for services under the Virginia Medicaid Intellectual Disability (ID) waiver program that were not provided.

New Jersey fraud

Sheila Kahl, 44, admitted that she wrongfully accessed protected health information (PHI) and paid kickbacks to healthcare professionals on behalf of a Medicare fraud scheme involving a purported non-profit, The Good Samaritans of America. Sentencing is scheduled for March 14, 2017.

A DOJ press release from the District of New Jersey, based on the criminal information and court statements, alleged that from July 2014 through December 2015, Seth Rehfuss, 42, of Somerset, New Jersey, Kahl, of Point Pleasant, New Jersey and others used. The Good Samaritans of America as front to present information about genetic testing to seniors in low-income housing projects.

In order to convince senior citizens to submit to genetic testing, Rehfuss allegedly used fear-based tactics, including suggesting the senior citizens would be vulnerable to heart attacks, stroke, cancer and suicide if they did not have the genetic testing. Rehfuss also allegedly claimed that the genetic testing allowed for “personalized medicine.”

Rehfuss was previously charged on December 2, 2015. The pending criminal complaint against Rehfuss contains mere allegations, and he is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Virginia fraud

A grand jury, sitting in the Western District of Virginia, charged Deborah Branch, 64, Melissa Harr, 49 and Bryan Harr Sr., 40, with one count of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and two counts of wire fraud.

According to a DOJ press release from the Western District of Virginia, the indictment alleged that Melissa and Bryan Harr Sr., hired Branch to work with one of their children, who suffers from intellectual and physical disabilities and qualifies for services paid for by Virginia Medicaid, under the Virginia Medicaid’s ID waiver program. Branch was allegedly paid through two different Virginia Medicaid contractors.

The indictment further alleged that from January 2010 until September 2015, Branch submitted time sheets claiming she was providing services for Harr’s disabled son when she was not. In exchange for assisting Branch in getting paid for work she did not do, Branch allegedly paid the Harrs approximately $200 every two weeks. Virginia Medicaid paid out $350,641.02 to two different Virginia Medicaid contractors, Public Partnerships, LLC and ResCare (formerly known as Creative Family Solutions), based on Branch’s time sheets, of which $207,854.43 was paid to Branch.